“What made you say that?” Jordan asked his cousin. Chione was not one to mince words and he knew that she would tell him whatever it was that her suspicions were.

Chione sighed as she sat down heavily on his bed, wrinkling the coverlet. Jordan looked over and looked back at his cousin when she did not say anything but was just kicking her legs lightly against the bed frame “Chi?”

“Because I know you, Dan, and you have not been yourself since you got back last year, are you still blaming yourself?”

“Whatever made you think that?” Jordan turned away from her as he tried to remember what he had been doing. “What would make you think I blamed myself, of course not. It had been natural and it was his time.” Oh yes, he remembered he had been sorting out his clothes. He was through though, but better to have something to do that would take him away from Chione’s scrutinizing eyes.

He moved towards the wardrobe but his cousin blocked him before he got there.

“What?” he asked with curt laughter as he tried to get around her but she blocked him again. Jordan sighed and folded his arms to his body. He injected exasperation into his voice as he said “What is it?”

“Oh, nothing,” Chione said innocently before asking “Do you know what they call me at the academy?”

Jordan’s smile widened. “No? The eavesdropper?” she hit him lightly in his arms and he laughed “Okay, okay. I get it now. Cat?”

She humphed “No, mister. They call me Eagle Eye”

Jordan snorted “Whoever came up with that ridiculous title?” he asked, even as he knew that whoever it was was right. A few things passed Chione by and he could see now that she had picked up on what others might not have noticed. Well, maybe Uncle Law too. He could see how his uncle had been looking at him since he started his plans to go back to Baleria, but so far he had not said much apart from expressing his wish that Jordan could stay to build his career that had started on a good leg at such a young age. He knew his uncle would still have something to say though and he would have to deal with that later, but his cousin seemed intent on getting her answers now.

He wouldn’t be able to evade her, not when she tilted her head that way and her stubborn chin jutted out in a way that reminded him of aunt Nubia. Yes, his aunt could be stubborn when she wanted to.

“I am not talking to you” she had declared earlier, after she had tried to persuade him to stay to no avail. So far she was making good on that threat, even though he had caught her many times looking at him with concern in her eyes. She would turn her face away firmly when he caught her like that and jutted her chin out just like her eldest was doing right now. If that was not a sign enough, she would loudly repeat her threat. “I am still not talking to you.”

Jordan smiled and Chione narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you smiling at? Do I have something on my face?” she removed her phone and looked at her face, scowled at him when she found nothing there.

“No, your face is fine,” Jordan said as he abandoned his momentary thought of escape and went to sit in his chair “I was just thinking of how much of your mannerism reminds me of Aunt.”

Chione smiled as she came to join him, and then she sobered as she lowered herself onto the arm of the chair. “She is worried about you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know, but just as I told you all. There is nothing to worry about. This is just a typical situation of a prodigal son going back home. I don’t mean to say this is not home. You know I love you guys and you are the only family I have now. But well, you should know what I mean”, he explained as best as he could. Jordan was not fond of messy emotions and he was surprised as to why he felt like sharing all his suspicions with this girl who had been but a child just yesterday. Time sure flies. It must be because Chione behaved more mature than her age and he felt more comfortable talking with her than most of the guys he'd come to know.

“You are no prodigal son, Dan, and I sure do love you too. That is why I want you to tell me if this is a kind of a revenge mission thing or something.”

“What?” Jordan looked at her sharply “What are you talking about, Chi? I can see that your sense of imagination is now heightened. Revenge what? Whatever gave you that crazy idea? Girl”

“Boy” she replied in the same tone with a serious look on her face. “Is it really a crazy idea? Am I wrong, Jordan?”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I am not.”

“Yes, you… I am not going to do this with you, kid” he said deliberately in a condescending tone, knowing how riled up she got whenever anyone treated her like that. Better she got riled up and left, he thought.

But she only smiled “You are only nine years, no, you are only eight years and ten months older than me, so get over yourself, old man. Also, I know what you wanted to do, so it won’t work since I am already on to you. Better for you not to waste your energy. I need an answer, Jordan” she said as her expression sobered again.

“What answer?”

Chione stood where she sat perched and paced agitatedly. “Why are you going back? Why are you leaving everything you have here, everything you have worked so hard for just so you could go over there and start over in the country you have left for more than twelve years? Why are you throwing all of these away to go back to a place that might not be so welcoming for your passion? A place where even foreign diplomats resign from their jobs just so they could avoid going there? A place where the news always has something negative to say about it every day? Why Jordan?”

“Because that place is my home and I have to be part of the hands that make it a better place” Jordan replied calmly, then his voice raised slightly even as his face remained passive, “Because I am no coward who would run away from a situation just to save my hide when I could do something to change the situation of things. Because I am an Alarick and I have a duty to my country.”

Chione recognised that tone, there would be no change of his mind and he confirmed what she thought even though he had evaded her question before without saying anything. He was going back for more reasons than patriotism. “You realise you would be way out of your league there, don’t you?” she asked calmly.

He looked into the distance as he gave a chilling smile that she doubted he was aware of. “I wouldn’t. I am an Alarick after all. That should count for something.”

“That didn’t help him in the end, did it?” Chione said softly.

Jordan turned to her and said carefully “What exactly do you think you know, kid?”

“That you do not believe in coincidences, old man. You have to stop blaming yourself. I doubt if picking up that night would have changed anything.”

“I never did say I was blaming myself nor did I say I doubted anything,” Jordan said with his piercing gaze on her.

Chione looked towards the window and widened her eyes “Oh, look!” she shouted, and Jordan looked over sharply as his hand automatically went to his waist for his duty belt that was no longer there. Another force of habit. He shook his head as he looked back at his cousin. There had been nothing there but crispy clear Rovan sky.

He narrowed his eyes at his cousin, who was flicking imaginary dirt off her immaculate fingers as she tried to hide her grin. “You are still using that trick? Grow up, kid. What was that for?”

She looked up with a saucy grin. “Oh, just showing you the pigs that were flying. That is how much I believe your claims. You old liar.”

Jordan shook his head with a smile. “Just leave my room before you make my head explode.”

Chione folded her arms “Oh, I will leave”

“Thank G…”

“Right after I say this one thing”

“What is it? Say it fast, I…”

“I am going with you”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”